Officer discusses today's military at American Legion conference

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Amaani Lyle
  • Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (AFNS) --  An Air Force officer shared her experiences in modern warfare with more than 700 veterans during the American Legion mid-winter conference here March 22.

Maj. Allison Black, the first female AC-130H Spectre navigator to shoot in combat operations and the first female Air Force Combat Action Medal recipient, gave an account of how she earned the moniker, "The Angel of Death," in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Currently, the Secretary of the Air Force public affairs operations communications team chief, then-evaluator navigator Major Black, flew into Northern Afghanistan insurgent territory in 2001 while assigned to the 16th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla.

A former survival, evasion resistance and escape instructor at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., Major Black had only a call sign, a radio frequency and a longitude and latitude upon which to rely during the daunting task of helping the Northern Alliance to get a stronghold on the territory.

"The AC-130 gunship is designed to put bullets where bombs can't go," Major Black said. "It also uses a high-powered laser pointer that assists with target identification."

As the AC-130 crew unloaded 400 40-millimeter rounds and 100 105-millimeter rounds onto the enemy in the targeted area, a northern alliance general working with a U.S. team on the ground saw the gunship's infrared laser and asked the team, "Is that a death ray?"

Ground team members replied, "As a matter of fact it is."

The general then called the enemy by radio and said tauntingly that American women were there to thwart Al Qaeda, adding, "The 'Angel of Death' is reigning destruction, so surrender now."

Not only did the insurgents quickly succumb in this instance, but the general later related the success of that mission as a teaching point to Afghan women during a ceremony.

"Look what America allows their women to do," the general said. "One day our country will have similar freedoms."

Air Force women serve in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan alongside their male peers in a range of combat aviation roles in direct contrast to a common misperception that women aren't in the fight.

"Although the enemy doesn't think that women are supposed to be there," Major Black said, "they shot at us anyway."

Major Black is a senior navigator with more than 1,500 flying hours. She has flown more than 540 combat hours during Operation Enduring Freedom.

The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization committed to the mentoring and sponsorship of community youth programs, patriotism and national security.